Summertime Etiquette Questions

June 14, 2012

Interview with Marie Dubuque, author of the book The Party Guest's Survival Guide: How To Handle Cocktail Parties, Wedding Receptions And Backyard Barbecues Without Making A Fool Of Yourself!

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Mike Carruthers:
Summertime presents some interesting etiquette problems for instance you get a wedding invitation but can’t or don’t want to attend, do you still have to send a gift?

Marie Dubuque:
Yes if you get the invitation you really need to send a gift, it can be a small gift. And actually you feel guilty because you’re not going so you should send a gift anyway because I always feel better.
 

Etiquette expert Marie Dubuque, author of the book The Party Guest's Survival Guide, says if you do go to a wedding a common concern is what are you supposed to say to the bride and groom?

Best wishes, congratulations, you two are great for each other; also if you’re married and if you’ve been married for a long time give them a little tip I think that’s always a nice thing to do. You know my wife and I or my husband and I we have been married for so many years and the thing that kept us together all these years is.

Another summertime etiquette problem is what do you give a high school or college graduate?  - Marie’s advice a gift card.

A gift card to like a BestBuy, an Amazon - something they can use. And I’m not a huge gift card fan but in this case I think it’s better than cash but you’re not giving them some huge present.

And if you’re invited to the company picnic this summer….

You don’t really want to go, you feel like you should so say to the organizer, “Look I really want to be there I’m so sorry I can only stay for an hour because I have a previous engagement.” So then you’re only stuck for an hour but if you’re having a good time then you can stay and you can say, “Oh my plans changed.”